Hand brake for railway cars



G. A. WOODMAN HAND BRAKE FOR RAlLWAY CARS April 21, 1925.

Filed Jan. 10j 1921 fla/fa! muuu Patented Apr; 2l, 1925.

GEORGE A; WoonMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. f

H ANIJ BRAKEFOR. RAILWAY cans.

' anpucation fue@ January 1o, 1921. serial No. 436,017.

yTo aZZ/Liohomz't magi/concern Be it known that I, GEORGE A. VOODMArn a citizenfof `the United States', residing at Chicago,-in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented 4certain ynew and @useful Improvements lin I-Ia-nd Brakes for Railway. Gars, of which the following4 is a specification.

This invention relates to 4handb-rakes for railway cars and its object is. `to provide a.

rbrakeadaptedto beoperated by the'usual shaft and Vhand wheel toy speedily take up. the slackoffthe brake chai-n andbring the brake shoe quickly into contact with the car wheels and then apply the power effectively rtn secure the highest degree of brake effic1ency. f

A further objectfof the invention is to providev a compactI deviceofsimple', strong ilapplied. tok new e. cars and also to old cars sha-ft.,

In ,the drawings-I have illustrated a se# lectedembodiment of lthe'invention and reywferring, there-to i Fig. 1 vshows they brake endgofa' box car with theinvention applied thereon. l

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the casing showing the working :parts in'elevation. Y u

Fig. 3y is a. top plan view `of the invention as shown Iin Fig, "2, the brakeshaft beingl shown` in section. Y I e Fig.j4 1s a detailed sectional view show# Ajing the power gear and ratchet device.

Fig. 5 is a planfview, with the shaft shown in section, showing the take up segment and l ratchet device.

f zthe car. and 7k is the brakechainwhich is operated by V the devices contained within the casing or; frame 8 fastened ,byy suitable meansl to thebottom of the car, and these devices areoperated ,by the usual brake shaft 9 promvided `atitsjupperend with a hand wheel 10. yThe brake is heldin s et position bythe A usual ratchet wheel 11a-nd dog 12 mounted on1the platform 13. f

A shaftj14is .journaled in the bearings .l-515' in they casing and, it projects through the topfof. the casing andis provided with e' form .shown in the drawings this gear 29 1s an integral part of the shaft 14. The shaft a square socket 16to receive the lower end of-the brake shaft- 9... This shaftv 14 constitutes. an extension ,on the lower end of the abrake shaft andshould be considered a part and substantial construction adapted torbe` whichareequipped with hand wheel and Referring to thev drawings, 6. designates of 'un bink@ Snnfnin uns. invention; For

manyr years brake shafts round in cross section were used and when my invention `is yapplied yto cars vhaving -such brake shafts the lower ends are upset square to make' locking engagement .with the square socket 16. But for some time past the Safety First Commissionhas required the use of ysquare shafts and the socketl isdesigned `to receive the lower end `of suchA shafts. It willy be evidentfthat the shaft 14 is thus held against aXial` movement.

. A segment gear 17 is rotatively mounted f Von thelower rounded end portion 18 of the y shaft 14. This gear is provided with a boss 19 on its lower side which has a bearing 19 in vthe bottom of the casingand the shaft has a bearingin this boss as well as inthe bottom of the casing. A portion of the,` shaft '.14' above the take up gear 17 is squared and a ratchet element 201s mounted to turn with and to slide on `this squared portion 14.y `The take up segment gear is provided `on' its upper side with radial teeth forming a ratchet element20f with which the ratchet element 20 operatively engages bygravity. A 'drum or jack shaft 21 is journaled'in a bearing L22 in the top of the casing and in a pinionl23 which meshes withthe ysegment gear 17. y lower side which 4engages a bearing 25 in the' shaft 21' on which the` pinion 23 is mountedis squared to make. locking engage- This pinion has a boss ,24 on its I thebottom of the casing. Thatportion of I ment with the pinion.. A conic chain ywinding drum 26 is rigidly mounted Von the shaft 21 and the brake chain 7 extends through an openingS" in the casing and is connected 1 to an eye 27 on said drum at itsI largest diameter. In the drawings I have shown the drum as an integral part of the shaft 21 and it willbe' preferably made in this way. in actual practice, but it is apparent' that the 'f drum may .be made separate from the shaft and the latterlmaybe squared to` receive the f drum j so fthat the latter will turnwith the' shaft. l Above thepulley 26 the drum shaft 21 1s "enlarged at '21 tov form a bearing for the pinion. 28which is loosely mounted to turn f,

freely on said shaft. The pinion 28 meshes with a gear 29 rigid on the shaft 14. In the 21 hasa squaredportion 21 above the bear# 30 is mounted to turn with and to slide on this squared part of the shaft. The pinion 28 is provided on its upper side with radially disposed teeth 28 and forms ay ratchet element 81 with which the ratchet element 30 engages by gravity. For economy of space I prefer to locate the ratchet element 31 in a recess 28 formed in the gear 28.

The operative devices heretofore described are strong and substantial in construction and are compactly made and arranged within a Ycomparatively small casing 8. This casing is located partly `under the end sill of the car and is provided with laterally projecting lugs 32 to receive bolts for securing the casing to the end sill and is also provided with an ipstanding lug 33 which engages the front of the end sill and is adapted to receive bolts for securing the casing to the end sill. The fastening lug 33 also performs the function of a stop to -properly position the casing and align the shaft 111 with the brake shaft 9.

The operation of theinvention is as follows:

Then the brake shoes are new there should be from five to six inches of slack in the brake chain to permit the brake shoesy to swing away from-the car wheels and thereby avoid dragging on the wheels. This slack increases as the shoes and brake connections i wear and to accommodate this, the Testinghouse air brake system provides a maximum travel of 12" for the cylinder piston. My invention is designed for use in connection with this standard air brake system and I contemplate providing for a greater take up than 12 so that effective braking force may be applied after the air brake piston has reached the limit of its tra-vel. It will be understood, however, that the hand brakes are principally used in switching but there are emergencies when the air brakes fail to work properly and the brakes must be operated manually. In my invention the chain is wound first upon the larger part of the drum and finally upon the smallerI part which merges into the shaft 21. By increaslng the diameter or the length of the larger part of the drum I can increase the total take up and at the same time take up c the slack more speedily; and by lengthening v get more power.

the reduced portion of the drum or that portion of the shaft 21 into which the drum merges I provide more space for the chain and by reducing the diameter thereof I can This variation in take up and power may also be effected by varying the sizes of the: gears in a manner which should be clearly understoodby those skilled 1n themechanic art.

In the ope-ration of a hand brake it is highly important that the slack in the cha-in should be taken up quickly so that the power may be applied to the brake shoes with little loss of time.. It is important not only that the power be applied quickly but that the full force be applied quickly. In other words the object is to apply the brake by K hand as nearly as possible as it is applied by i at a comparatively high rate of spee'd to take up the slack in the brake chain. During this operation the pinion 28 is revolved slowly by meshing engagement with the gear 29, and rotates freely on the part 21 of the shaft 21, and the ratchet element 30 rides over the teeth of the ratchet element 31 on pinion 28 and slides upward on the squared portion 21 of the shafts 21, because the shaft an'd the. ratchet wheel are then travel'- -ing faster than the pinion 28. The segment gear 17 passes out of meshing engagement with the pinion 23 at or about the time the slack of the brake cha-in has been taken up in the operation just. described and then the drum must be revolved at a comparatively slow rate of speed in applying the power to the brake shoes. This operation automa-ticrally and immediately follows the slack taking up operation ust ldescribed and the parts operate in the following manner. During the. taking upoperation the drum is revolved through the segment 17 and pinion 23; during the power applying operation the drum is revolved through the gear 29 and the pinion 28. After the segment gear 17 has passed out of meshing engagement with the pinion 23 the ratchet element 30 is engaged by the teeth 28 of ratchet element 31 and the brake drum is rotated by pinion 28, gear 29 and the hand wheel shaft v9. The ldialneter of the gear 29 is small compared with the diameter' of the pinion 28 and this increases the power applied from the brake shaft to the drum. During the operation of applying the power to the brake shoes after they have been brought into contact with the car wheels the chain is winding' on the lower portion of the drum which is of small diameter thereby further increasing the power. As the shaft is rotated the brakeman pushes the dog 12 into constant contact with the ratchet 11 which locks the brake in adjusted position.

'vhen the locking pawl 12 is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 11 the'brake shoes swing back away from the car wheel and the brake chain pulls on the drum and causes' the working parts of my invention to y'operate in a direction reverse to that hereinbefore described without locking. As t-he drum revolves in reverse direction the ratchet elefloo ment 30 remains in operative engagement with the ratchet element 3l and the pinion 28 operates in meshing engagement with the gear 29. During the initial lreverse movement of the drum the segment 17 is out of meshing enga-gement with the pinion 23 and the ratchet wheel 2O revolves freely with the segment gear. Vhen the segment gear com-es into meshing engagement with the pinion 23 the ratchet element 30 remains in operative engagement with the pinion 28 an'd the ratchet element 20 moves freely under' the ratchet element 2O and in so doing pushes it up on the shaft 14. In this way the 4parts resume their initial position while the brake shoes are returning to their normal position and Without locking the gears.

I claim:

l. In a. carbrake,a power shaft, a brake chain drum, a driving gear fixedly mounted on said power shaft, a driven gear rotatively mounted on said drum and meshed with said driving gear, a driving segment gear rotatively mounted on said shaft, a gear fixedly mounted on said drum and meshed with said segment gear, one gear ratio being greater than the other, and individual overrunning ratchet elements mounted respectively on said shaft and said drum to rotate therewith, and ratchet elements on said rotatively mounted gears operatively engaging said first named ratchet elements respectively.

2. In a carI brake, a power shaft, a brake chain drum, a segmental gear rotatively mounted on said shaft, a ratchet non-rotatively mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage said gear when said shaft is rotated to set the brake, a relatively small pinion nonrotatively mounted on said drum and meshing with said gear, a gear non-rotatively mounted on said shaft, a relatively large pinion rotatively mounted on said drum, and a ratchet non-rotatively mounted on said drum and adapted to be engaged by said rotatively mounted pinion when the latter is rotated to set the brake.

3. In a brake device, a casing, a brake drum1rotatively mounted therein and provided with a relatively fixed pinion and with a relatively rotating pinion of different diameter, a power shaft rotatively mounted in said casing and pro-vided with a relatively fixed gear meshed with said rotating pinion on said drum and with a relatively rotating segmental gear meshed with said fixed pinion on said drum, means ony said shaft for positively engaging said segmental gear only when said shafty is rotated in a predetermined direction, and means on said drum by which said drum is positively engaged by said rotating pinion when the latter is driven by the rotation of said fixed gear in said predetermined direction.

4E. In a car brake, a power shaft, a conical brake chain drum, means for yrotating said drum by said power shaft at different speed ratios during the setting of the brake, said means being synchronized with the winding of the brake chain on said conical drum so that the greatest speed ratio between said shaft and said drum is simultaneous with the winding of the brake chain on the larger portion of said drum.

5. In a brake gear, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a gear drive from said driving shaft to said driven shaft, a second' gear drive at a different ratio from said driving shaft to said driven shaft, the gears of t-he second gear drive being permanently in mesh, means for automatically rendering said second gear drive inoperative when said first gear drive is operated, said first gear drive automaticallyk discontinuing after predetermined angular displacement of the driven shaft and said second,` gear drive becoming operative upon the discontinuance of said first gear drive. n

6. In a. brake gear, a power shaft, a jack shaft, brake applying means connected with said jack shaft, a high ratio train of gearing between said shafts lbecoming inoperative after predetermined angular displacement of the jack shaft, a low ratio train of gearing between the shafts including a .gear rotatably mounted on the jack shaft, the gears of the low ratio train of gearing remaining permanently in mesh, and means for automatically rendering the low ratio train of` gearing operative when the high ratio train of gearing becomes inoperative.

7. In a brake device, a frame adapted to be attached to a car, driving and driven shafts journaled in said frame, high ratio and low ratio gearing between said shafts, ratchet devices kmounted o-n each of said 'shafts for rotation therewith but capable of movement longitudinally thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of IJanuary,

1921. .Y usi-agg GEORGE A. wooDMAN. 

